All writing is two-way communication. There is a sender and a recipient. Everyday Correspondence should aid understanding of the sender’s message to its recipient.  The writer’s goal is to ensure the message is succinctly written. So, a message is quickly and easily understood. 

Lesson 2 focuses on the task of writing EVERYDAY CORRESPONDENCE. These are writing tasks that businesspeople encounter daily.  

Business today is a high-speed highway of information, innovation, and opportunity. In that environment, there is no time for messages that don’t communicate well.  There is no formula for writing business correspondence. But there are certain characteristics that most good messages share.  

Whether a simple Reply Letter, an Explanation Letter, a Complaint Letter, or an Acknowledgement Letter, everyday correspondence share similarities. But, they also have important differences. Differences that can result in an effective or an ineffective communication response. 

A reader should know right away what is the jest of the message received. That understanding should begin in the first sentence ideally. If not, certainly in the first paragraph. The message should be presented logically to make immediate sense to the reader.  Every subsequent sentence or paragraph should support the initial thesis.

Indeed,  message structure should flow smoothly.  Grammar should incorporate short sentences. Word choice should be thoughtful.  The goal is to build a supportive written infrastructure that makes recipient action, which is usually the purpose of  everyday correspondence, readily apparent.